Minimalwastelife - Minimal Waste Lifestyle

low waste tips: student edition

choosing a low waste lifestyle can seem an impossible extra thing to juggle when you already have friends, assignments, exams etc. to manage. hopefully this post will inspire you to make some eco-friendly swaps and show you how easy it can be to live more mindfully

1. food shop with friends. food waste is one of the biggest ways we can create waste. shopping and cooking with friends is not only really fun but almost always works out cheaper and you’ll use up all your ingredients rather than having food left over. save leftovers for lunch the next day! 

2. go digital. if you have the option to type your notes and submit essays electornically then do so! you’ll save loads of paper. however, some people with learning difficulties find it easier to read with hard copies rather than on a laptop, and that is fine. just make sure you print double sided and recycle those print-outs after

3. ditch the car. travelling to and from uni via train is much better than using a car, if you can’t avoid the car then offer to car share. while at uni try and cycle, walk or use public transport as much as possible rather than driving (or ubering) short journeys. you’ll save money and the planet

4. second hand shopping/clothes swaps. there’s lots of pressure in student environments to wear the coolest clothes and to wear different things all the time. choose second hand rather than fast fashion.

5. sell your old clothes. selling your unused clothes on ebay or depop is a great way to earn a little extra cash. don’t let your old clothes be part of the 98% that are burned or go to landfill

6. borrow. there are always one-off events that you need a fancy dress/suit for. try and borrow or rent those items instead of buying something you’ll only wear once. 

7. choose your stationery wisely. do you really need 5 notebooks? could you use a wooden pencil instead of a plastic pen? can you find recycled paper? little choices added together make a big difference

8. choose your drinks. drinking culture is everywhere at university and what you drink and how much is a personal choice. try and opt for drinks that come in aluminium cans (beer or cider) or glass bottles (spirits or wine). mixers are hard to find without plastic

9. refuse the straw. when you’re out this is a simple way to save the environment. just say no

10. find the university’s eco societies. surrounding yourself with and learning from environmentally-minded people is a great way to make low waste living easy. they will also be able to give you university-specific advice (e.g. where to find plastic-free veg and which cafes give you a discount for bringing your own cup)

and all the usual low/zero waste bits still apply to students too:

have a look at this post for ideas for zero/low waste swaps

low waste living is great for a student budget too! have a look at this post to find out more

I upcycled a few old shirts into makeup remover pads and o h m y g o d my hands hurt from cutting 56 of these with older, slightly dulled scissors.

FYI

to help make a difference in climate change and to not contribute to human and animal suffering as much as possible i:

- am vegan in all aspects - do not have a car - walk and bike as much as possible - use public transportation when i can not - use reusable bags - use reusable water bottles - use reusable utensils - use reusable containers - refuse plastic at all opportunities - buy recycled/fair trade clothing as i can - try my hardest to be zero waste - throw away NO food - recycle everything i can - switched to having all of my energy come from renewable sources - appreciate all water i use - pick up trash - buy local produce when i can - forgo produce that uses many resources - donate money to vegan and environmental causes - live a minimalistic life - get furniture and appliances second hand if possible - sell and donate things i no longer use

does that make me better than you? of course it doesn’t. but i probably am doing better than you. what the fuck are you doing for the planet? do more.

Straws are the Beginning

I’ve seen a few posts ranting that stopping our usage of straws isn’t going to save the planet. And that’s true. But the point of it is that straws are a good starting point because almost everyone uses them. They’re commonplace in restaurants, cafes, and even in some households. However, straws themselves aren’t necessarily the problem. The problem is single-use plastic. In reality, we should be focusing on cutting our usage of any item we use once and throw away, but everyone’s focused on straws because of how many are used. But if we can get society to cut them out, it’s one less thing to worry about. After straws, it could be plastic cutlery or unnecessary wrapping on food. If you’re angry that the anti-plastic movement is primarily about straws right now, don’t be. Understand that it’s an easy way to bring about the banishment of single-use plastic in everyone else’s everyday lives and it’s also a gateway for unconcerned people to learn about what their usage does to the planet and feel inspired to make a change in their lives. If you still want to be angry, boycott the corporations that don’t care about their impact and support those that do. You can also work to educate those around you that while cutting out straws is a good start, we need to be making more drastic changes if we want to stop the catastrophic course we’re on right now.

Gentle rain 🌱

Why did I decide to use bamboo toothbrushes?

I’m reducing the use of plastic at home

Bamboo handles are naturally antimicrobial and biodegradable

They are as effective as plastic and electric toothbrushes

They are organic while having good quality and design

Plastic toothbrushes are really difficult to recycle

All plastic toothbrushes you ever used are still out there!

little snail!!

2025 corporate pride month: exxonmobil posts this pic and says oil is pro LGBT

Rosy morning porthole view.